Emergency return: 200 passengers evacuate Delta flight in Atlanta

HARTSFIELD-JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – An Orlando-bound Delta Air Lines flight was forced to turn back to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday morning after fumes were reported on the flight deck.

Delta flight emergency return

What we know:

A Boeing 757 operating as Delta Flight 2204 departed Atlanta for Orlando on Saturday carrying 199 customers and six crew members. Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew declared an emergency and navigated the plane back to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport due to reports of fumes in the cockpit, according to a Delta spokesperson.

First responders met the aircraft on an airport taxiway, where travelers and crew members evacuated the jet using emergency slides. Ground crews then transported everyone by bus back to the main terminal, according to airline officials.

Flight deck fume investigation

What they’re saying:

Delta confirmed that travelers are being re-accommodated on a replacement aircraft to complete their trip to Orlando, according to an airline representative. Maintenance crews remain on site to conduct a full inspection of the grounded plane.

“The flight crew followed procedures to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after reports of fumes on the flight deck. A slide evacuation occurred on a taxiway, and customers are being re-accommodated on a new aircraft. Safety is paramount at Delta, and we apologize to our customers for their experience,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.

Airline officials have not yet confirmed what caused the fumes inside the cockpit, according to a Delta spokesperson. Maintenance teams are currently evaluating the Boeing 757 to determine the origin of the issue.

Passenger describes panic in the air

Jordan Conlin, a passenger traveling on the flight with his family, described the chaotic moments in the air after takeoff.

Colin said the initial minutes of the flight seemed normal until the pilot announced over the intercom that fumes had filled the cockpit, requiring both pilots to put on oxygen masks and turn the plane back to Atlanta. As the aircraft neared Hartsfield-Jackson, crew members instructed passengers to brace.

“When the pilot’s yelling brace, brace, brace during the landing, I’m just thinking, holy crap, how bad is the situation, actually?” Conlin said.

While Conlin noted a slight smell of jet fuel exhaust inside the cabin, he said the plane landed smoothly before emergency responders met the jet on the taxiway.

Video shared with FOX 5 Atlanta showed people standing on the taxiway right after evacuating the plane.

“Getting off the plane felt amazing because it was just such chaos,” Conlin recalled. “You’ve got people screaming and yelling and panicking… You never think it’s going to be you, and all of a sudden what should be a normal flight becomes very, very scary.”

Conlin and his family were taken back to the terminal and eventually arrived safely in Orlando after being placed on a replacement flight.